Days after Kanye West claimed to have made her famous, Taylor Swift got her revenge with gold.
At Monday’s 58th Grammy Awards, the star snagged Album of the Year for “1989” — and took the opportunity to smack Kanye down for his lyrics on the song “Famous.”
“There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success, or take credit for your accomplishments or fame,” she said during her acceptance speech. “But if you just focus on the work … you’ll know it was you, and the people who love you, who put you there.”
Swift’s award is not without its own controversy. The favorite to win Album of the Year was Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly,” and the rapper delivered the performance of the night with renditions of “The Blacker The Berry” and “Alright.”
He took the stage leading a chain gang and made reference to the black prison population. A second set piece featured tribal dancers circling a fire; projected behind them was an outline of Africa emblazoned with the word “Compton.” As far as comments on institutionalized racism and cultural identity go, it made Beyoncé’s Super Bowl halftime show seem quaint.
It was a night that desperately needed Lamar’s energy, as insipid ballads and uninspired performances piled up. The Lionel Richie tribute lumped together John Legend, Demi Lovato and Meghan Trainor to create what felt like a cruise ship revue.
The normally impeccable Adele foundered during “All I Ask” due to sound problems. Even the Weeknd’s carnal R&B felt limp thanks to an uninspired piano and cello on “In the Night.”
Dreary memorials to the Eagles’ Glenn Frey and B.B. King were also delivered.
But Lady Gaga coughed up glam and guts to storm through a David Bowie salute, covering everything from “Space Oddity” to a Broadway version of “Heroes” while rocking a shock of Ziggy Stardust hair. It was chaotic and a little silly, but in a ceremony so sterile, that was welcome.